EAST GREENBUSH — The basketball season is about to begin for Columbia junior guard Kevin Smith and then he will embark on his first varsity baseball season for coach Chris Dedrick. The shortstop already knows where he is going to play collegiately, and he will have a Division I scholarship awaiting him.

Smith has provided University of Maryland coach John Szefc his oral commitment to compete for the Terrapins beginning in the 2014-15 season. Maryland is about to shift from the Atlantic Coast Conference to the Big Ten.

"I went down with coach Szefc and that really put it over the top. I think we hit if off pretty well," Smith said. "I really like his philosophies and what he wanted to instill in his team. Everything fit perfectly there. It was an easy choice and I couldn't be happier with my decision. ... I would not have committed if it wasn't the perfect choice."

"He has two years left and he doesn't have to worry about a thing," Dedrick said.

Columbia captured the 2012 Section II Class AA final in June.

During the summer months, Smith competed on the South Troy Dodgers' successful 16-and-under Mickey Mantle squad. In the fall, he played with the Dodgers' Connie Mack squad.

"Here is a kid who has not played an inning of varsity baseball and has a scholarship to Maryland in his pocket. That is pretty interesting," South Troy Dodgers founder George Rogers said. "He is a guy that showed college coaches immediately he had great hands and feet together, which is an aspect that they love. His intelligence on the baseball field and his decisiveness are both great. What they did not see, and what I love about him, is his work ethic. He will do whatever it takes to be the best he can.

"As good as a baseball player as he is, he is also that same kid in the classroom," Rogers said.

Smith, who carries a 99.7 grade point average in the classroom, said Rogers played a huge role in landing his scholarship so soon.

"I wouldn't be in this situation without him: calling coaches and having college coaches come to see me," Smith said of Rogers.